Miniature rose plant &#39;pacthird&#39;

ABSTRACT

A new miniature rose plant which has abundant, white colored flowers and attractive foliage. The variety successfully propagates from softwood cuttings and is suitable for year round production in commercial glass houses as a flowering pot plant. This new and distinct variety has shown to be uniform and stable in the resulting generations from asexual propagation.

BOTANICAL DESIGNATION

Rosa hybrida.

VARIETY DENOMINATION

‘PACthird’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention constitutes a new and distinct variety of miniature rose plant, which was developed by artificially pollinating an unnamed seedling (not patented) with an unnamed seedling (not patented). The two parents were crossed in the summer of 2004 and the resulting seed was sown in December 2004, in a controlled glasshouse environment. Out of these seedlings one seedling was selected, as the new variety and named ‘PACthird’. The new rose may be distinguished from its seed parent, an unnamed seedling, by the following combination of characteristics:

-   -   1. ‘PACthird’ has big double flowers, while the unnamed seedling         has big single flowers.     -   2. ‘PACthird’ has white colored petals, while the unnamed         seedling has green-white petals.

The new variety may distinguished from its pollen parent, an unnamed seedling created by the same inventor, by the following combination of characteristics:

-   -   1. ‘PACthird’, has big double flowers, while the unnamed         seedling has small double flowers.     -   2. ‘PACthird’ white colored petals, while the unnamed seedling         has pale red petals.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Initial asexual reproduction of ‘PACthird’ by cuttings was first done in Santa Barbara, Calif., USA. This initial and other subsequent propagations conducted in controlled environments have demonstrated that the characteristics of ‘PACthird’ are true to type and are transmitted one generation to the next. ‘PACthird’ is a low and compact miniature rose with good vigor.

The objective of the hybridization of this rose variety for commercial greenhouse culture was to create a new and distinct variety with:

-   1. Uniform and abundant flowers with good keepability; -   2. Attractive long lasting foliage and compact growth; -   3. Year round flowering under glasshouse conditions; -   4. Suitability for production from softwood cuttings in pots; -   5. Durable flowers and foliage which make the variety suitable for     distribution in the floral industry.

This combination of qualities was not present in previously available commercial cultivars of this type, known to the inventor, and distinguish ‘PACthird’ from all other varieties of which I am aware.

The seeds from hybridization were planted in a controlled environment and evaluations were conducted on the resulting plants. ‘PACthird’ was selected by, Daniel Jauchen, in his development program in Santa Barbara, Calif., USA.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying color illustrations show as true as is reasonably to obtain in color photographs of this type, the typical characteristics of the buds, flowers, leaves, stems of ‘PACthird’. Specifically illustrated in the drawings:

-   1: Young shoot. -   2: Bud before opening the sepals. -   3: Bud at the stage of opening the sepals. -   4: Bud at the stage of opening the petals. -   5: Flower during course of opening. -   6: Open flower—plan view—obverse. -   7: Open flower—plan view—reverse. -   8: Fully open flower—plan view—obverse. -   9: Fully open flower—plan view—reverse. -   10: Receptacle showing stamens and pistils. -   11: Receptacle showing pistils (stamens and sepals removed). -   12: Flower petals, detached—inner surface. -   13: Flower petals, detached—outer surface. -   14: Bare stem exhibiting thorns and flower attachment. -   15: Three leaflets upper side. -   16: Three leaflets reverse side. -   17: Five leaflets upper side. -   18: Five leaflets reverse side.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION OF THE VARIETY

The following is a detailed description of the Miniature Rose: Rosa hybrida ‘PACthird’.

The following observations, measurements, values and comparisons describe plants grown in glass houses in Santa Barbara, Calif., USA.

The age of the observed plants were 3 months after propagation by cuttings, and produced as flowering pot plants in container of 10 centimeter in diameter. Environmental conditions in the cultivation area for the observed plants, has been temperatures from 64 to 78 degree Farenheit, and 10 to 20 hours day length with assimilation light. Light levels from 600 foot candle to 6000 foot candle. The relative humidity has been ranging from 50 to 85%.

Color references are made using The Royal Horticultural Society (London, England) Colour Chart, 1995, except where common terms of color are used. For a comparison, the nearest existing rose variety is ‘POULpah025’, a rose variety described and illustrated in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 16,348. Chart 1 details several physical characteristics of ‘PACthird’ and ‘POULpah025’. CHART 1 ‘PACthird’ ‘POULpah025’ Petal color, Upper White Group 155C Green-white Group 157A surface Petal color, Reverse White Group 155C Yellow-Green Group surface With intonations of 145D Green-white Group 157A Petal count 40 to 45 140 Parents: Unnamed seedling times unnamed seedling

-   Classification:     -   -   Botanical.—Rosa hybrida.         -   Commercial.—Miniature. -   Plant:     -   -   Plant growth.—Moderately vigorous. Grows compact upright to             bushy. When grown as 10 cm pot plant, the average height of             the plant itself is 18 cm to 20 cm, and average width is             20 cm. When grown as a 15 cm pot plant, the average height             of the plant itself is 22 cm to 27 cm, and average width is             30 cm. -   Stem:     -   -   Color.—Young wood: Green Group 143B. Older wood: Green Group             143B.         -   Thorns.—Incidence: 5 to 6 per stem. Size: 1 to 3 mm. Form:             Deep concave. Color: Greyed-Purple Group 184D.         -   Surface.—Young wood: Smooth. Older wood: Smooth.         -   Stem diameter.—2 mm to 3 mm.         -   Internode length.—20 mm to 35 mm.         -   Numbers of internodes.—4 to 5. -   Plant foliage: Leaves arranged alternately, compound with 3 to 5     leaflets per leaf, generally symmetrical, abundant, and flat in     aspect. Stipules at petiole base.     -   -   Quantity of leaves.—4 to 5 per lateral branch.         -   Leaf size.—Length 55 mm to 95 mm, width 35 mm to 80 mm.         -   Petioles.—Color: Yellow-Green Group 147A, with intonations             of Greyed-Purple Group 184D. Margins: Entire. Length: 10 mm             to 15 mm Diameter: about 0.5 mm to 1 mm.         -   Stipules.—Size: Length 5 mm to 7 mm, width 2 mm to 3 mm.             Surface: Smooth. Color for upper surface: Green Group 139A,             with intonations of Greyed-Purple Group 185B. Color for             lower surface: Green Group 139B, Margins: Entire.         -   Rachis.—Color: Yellow-Green Group 147A, with intonations of             Greyed-Purple Group 184D. Margins: Entire. Length: 15 mm to             45 mm. Diameter: 0.5 mm to 1 mm.         -   Leaflets.—Edge: Serrated. Serration: Single. Shape: Ovate             with acute apex and obtuse base. Texture: Smooth.             Appearance: Dull. Size: length: 20 mm to 55 mm, width: 10 mm             to 35 mm. Color: Young foliage: Upper surface: Yellow-Green             Group between 146A and 147A. with intonations of             Greyed-Purple 184D. Lower surface: Yellow-Green Group 146B,             with intonations of Greyed-Purple 184D. Color: Mature             foliage: Upper surface: Yellow-Green Group 147A. Lower             surface: Yellow-Green Group 146A. Leaf vein color: Upper             surface: Yellow-Green Group 146A. Reverse surface:             Yellow-Green Group between 145C and 145D. -   Inflorescence:     -   -   Blooming habit.—Recurrent.         -   Number of flowers.—Generally one to four buds per flowering             stem.         -   Peduncle.—Color: Green Group between 143B and 143D. Texture:             Smooth. Length: 30 mm to 45 mm Diameter: 1 mm to 2 mm.             Strength: Upright.         -   Receptacle.—Surface: Smooth, glabrous. Shape: Funnel-shaped.             Size: height 4 mm to 6 mm, width 3 mm to 5 mm. Color: Green             Group 143B.         -   Sepals.—Quantity: five. Shape: Narrowly ovate with acute             tip. Texture: Leathery. Margin: Foliaceous appendages on one             of the five sepals. Appearance: Dull. Color: Upper surface:             Green Group 143A, Reverse surface: Green Group between 143A             and 143C Size: Length 15 mm to 25 mm, width 5 mm to 8 mm.         -   Buds.—Size: Height 15 mm to 25 mm, diameter 13 mm to 20 mm,             Upon opening. Shape: Cupped to Ovoid. Color: at ¼ opening,             White Group 155C.         -   Flower.—Duration: As a pot plant, flowers last from 18 to 21             days. Fragrance: Slightly perfume. Size: 40 mm to 45 mm in             diameter. Depth: 25 mm to 30 mm. Form: Shape of flower when             viewed from the side: Upon opening: Ovoid. Open flower:             Flat.         -   Color.—Petals, upon opening: Upper surface: White Group             155C, with intonations of 143A on the the outer petals.             Reverse surface: White Group 155C. Petals after opening:             Upper surface: White Group 155C, with intonations of 143A on             the the outer petals. Reverse surface: White Group 155C.             General tonality: On open flower: Third day: White Group             155C. Afterwards: White Group 155C.         -   Petals.—         -   Petal reflex.—Outermost petals reflex backwards at opening.             Fully open all petals reflex backwards.         -   Texture.—Smooth.         -   Petal edge.—Entire.         -   Petal count.—40 on the average per flower.         -   Petal size.—Length 15 mm to 30 mm, width 15 mm to 40 mm.         -   Shape.—Outer petals: Round — ovate Inner petals: Ovate Apex:             Rotundate. Base: Obtuse to rotundate.         -   Petaloids.—none.         -   Reproductive organs.—         -   Stamen number.—Approximately 60 on average per flower.         -   Stamens length.—6 mm to 7 mm.         -   Pollen.—Color: Greyed-Orange Group 167A. Abundance: Heavy.         -   Anthers.—Size: 1 mm to 1.5 mm Color: Greyed-Orange Group             167A. Shape: Oblong.         -   Filaments.—Size: 5 mm to 6 mm. Color: White Group 155D.         -   Pistils number.—Approximately 40 on average per flower.         -   Stigmas.—Location: Protrude less than the anthers. Color:             Green-White Group 157A.         -   Styles.—Color: Green-White Group 157D. Length: 3 mm to 4 mm. -   Development:     -   -   Vegetation.—Dense.         -   Blooming.—Abundant.         -   Aptitude to bear fruit.—Poor.         -   Resistance to diseases.—Above average resistance to mildew             and Botrytis under normal growing conditions in Santa             Barbara, Calif., USA. Hips/seeds has not been observed due             to that the plant has never been grown to the stage of seed             development, due to the fact, that the variety is developed             for use as a flowering pot plant only.         -   Winter hardiness & drought/heat tolerance.—Due to the fact,             that this variety is a potted flowering plant, developed             indoor use only, the plant is not tested for winter             hardiness or drought/heat tolerance. 

1. A new and distinct variety of Rose plant of the miniature class, substantially as herein illustrated and described as a distinct and novel rose variety due to its abundant white flowers, attractive long lasting foliage, vigorous and compact growth, year round flowering under glasshouse conditions, suitability for production from softwood cuttings in pots, and durable flowers and foliage which make the variety suitable for distribution in the floral industry. 